Smokers' Haven Exotique Mixture

I've now smoked this blend in three iterations: Sobranie tinned, early Germain tinned and the current Germain blend. Of the three, I prefer the earlier Germain variety, if you can find it. When Sobranie was making the blend it was dark, moist and extremely pungent. When Germain took over the blending they lightened both the mixture itself and slightly toned-down the pungency and that was OK by me, as I could hardly tolerate the Sobranie version - it was that dense! But, now we come to the current production. The tin I opened had a beautiful color range and texture and was moist, but not overly moist. What it lacked from the get-go was any real tin aroma to speak of. I found this odd, as this blend always had a noticeable and distinct tin aroma that was somewhat reminiscent of Balkan Sobranie 759. I dried some out and loaded my "Custombill" and had at it. The tobacco smoked well enough but didn't produce any really distinctive smoking aroma and when I came back into the room it didn't really have a room aroma. Thin, weak and faint; I found this blend to be a shell of it's former self.

This is a thoughtfully blended tobacco. All of the tobaccos are in balance and work well together. The latakia is sweet and smokey yet subtle. Perhaps over all the taste is to subtle for my liking. I find this blend a bit mild, not quite as good as the Smokers Haven 20th Anniversary. There is no doubt however that the leaf is of the highest quality and I would recommend trying the smokers Haven blends to everyone.

SH has another fine blend here. As with Select Mixture, this needs liberal dry time as it comes sopping wet in the tin.

The turkish is the star here. You won't find many blends that showcase the taste profile that this blend does. Latakia is subtle in the background but you know it is there. Each passing puff makes your palate want more. High quality and worth the few extra dollars!

Yes, much better! This is another fine Germain blend with exotic touches. The Turkish really brings out the smoky, musky qualities. Again, if this were offered in smaller packages and the people running the shop were a bit more amenable to the public, they'd have a loyal fan. One of the things I definitely like about Smoker's Haven is their tin art. Fantastic! I love the designs they use, especially that 1950s prototypical man reclining in his favorite arm chair relaxing with his pipe. Exotique has that Arabian Nights calligraphy and Cognac has an almost Magritte like touch to it. I might purchase these tins one day for the artwork alone.

Three and a half of five stars

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2007 - Revisiting this again at the Chicago PT a year later, it?s an excellent blend. Heavy, though not overpowering on the Orientals, it?s tempered by Germain brininess and a tangy, bittersweet flavor. Smoker?s Haven only had a sample tin available, as they are currently awaiting a new batch. I will be ordering this lovely tobacco when it is available. It's consistent, and in this sleight of hand world, I enjoy consistency.

Four of five stars

This is a very pleasant, easy tobacco on the milder end of the Balkan spectrum.

As has been noted, the moisture content right out of the tin is a little much, and if you're too impatient to dry it out before smoking, lighting can take several trys.

Good Turkish flavor dominates this blend, with the Virginias and Latakia vying for second place.

In the Balkan range, I prefer GLPease Odyssey or C&D's Star of the East, but they are both a bit too heavy to qualify for all-day smokes. Exotique Mixture, on the other hand, would fit the Balkan desires of early-morning or mid-day smokers very well.

Man, this stuff is smooth. I am not a Lat hound by any means; I often find it acrid and overpowering in Balkan or English blends. Here, however, it complements this oriental forward blend nicely. The Virginia is also a minor player and adds some sweetness. It is not a citrus sweetness but a soft, subtle, bready flavor. The orientals add a bit of incense, wood, a sour note, and spice. The ribbon cut is thin, almost a shag. The nic hit, to me, is about hallway between mild and medium. It burns beautifully with hardly any relights. This blend is reputedly Germain's, tinned for Smokers Haven in Columbus, Ohio. Nice.

The first thing I noticed when popping the tin was the smell. I always say something about the tin note in my reviews, but this one really deserves mentioning. It is rather pungent. I'm reminded of being in the woods growing up - a general "outdoors-y" smell, dirt, decaying leaves, an old tree trunk that fell years ago and is crumbling with rot. I know that doesn't sound particularly appetizing, but it is positively intoxicating. I really want to stick my face on the tin and inhale and dream of playing hide and seek among the trees as a child (minus the mosquitos and poison ivy). WONDERFUL!

It's a rather long and thin ribbon cut. Not overly wet at all, but a bit on the moist side. I've found that it needs to be packed a little on the loose side for best results, and doesn't need any drying if the pipe is packed with a light touch. Personally, I'd prefer a shorter and wider cut for easier filling, but that's a minor quibble, really....and drying it a little might completely alleviate that for me.

In the pipe, latakia makes its presence known, but this isn't a lat bomb. There's a heavy oriental presence too, and a nice Virginia sweetness. I'm reminded of Dunhill MM965, in style if not in execution. Definitely sweeter than 965 (which I found almost astringent), and overall just plain better than 965 IMO. Yes, it tastes like it smells - grass, trees, rotting leaves, dirt...with just a hint of sweet from the Virginia to keep it in balance.

Interesting, complex, chock full of flavor, full and rich, thick and heavy on the palate, yet very well balanced. English and Balkan fans are doing themselves a serious disservice if they don't try this stuff. The heavy oriental presence prevents this from being a favorite... nothing wrong with it, it just isn't my preferred flavor profile.

I have enjoyed several smokers haven tobaccos and surprisingly this one is one of my favorites. There is a striking resemblance to Balkan Sobranie 759 in this blend. I think that is a definite plus. This blend is very similar to the Smokers Haven our best blend, which is rarer than hens teeth anymore. The main difference between the two blends is this one is a bit more reserved on the Latakia front. The orientals shine a bit more here. That being said the only problem I have with this blend is that the very fine cut can make for a scorching hot smoke. Experienced smokers only.

Full English....this delicious blend might just define the title of Full English, as its that good! A mixture of sweet Virginia, a good mix of Oriental spice and lots of smoky Latakia. This is Our Best Blends' smokier, more Latakia driven older brother and is closer to Margate than OBB in my opinion and this is reinforced by the fact that all three are blended by J.F. Germain. This is among my very favorite tobaccos and I highly recommend it to all who enjoy English style tobacco.